• The 2017 Five Star Real Estate Agents, Mortgage
Professionals and Home/Auto Insurance Professionals do
not pay a fee to be included in the research or the final
list.
• Each professional is screened against state governing
bodies to verify that licenses are current and no
disciplinary actions are pending.
• The inclusion of a real estate agent, mortgage
professional or insurance professional on the final lists
should not be construed as an endorsement by Five Star
Professional or New Jersey Monthly.
• The research process incorporates a statistically valid
sample in order to identify the professionals in the local
market who score highest in overall satisfaction. These
professionals are not included on the list unless their
score is statistically valid.
For more information on the Five Star award and the research/
selection methodology, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com.
Determination of Award Winners
Professionals who satisfied each of the following
objective criteria were named a 2017 New Jersey Five
Star Real Estate Agent, Five Star Mortgage Professional
or Five Star Home/Auto Insurance Professional:
1. Received a qualifying client satisfaction rating.
2. Satisfied the applicable state licensing requirements.
3. Actively employed as a licensed professional for a
minimum of three years.
4. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review.
5. Satisfied minimum client volume or production on a
one-year and three-year basis (number and volume
of transactions or number of client households
served).
How We Identify Award Winners
See Our Special Section
for the Complete List of
Award Winners
Selling a house isn’t easy. In fact, it’s something
that many families dread. Chances are that you’ve
heard horror stories about houses that sat for years
on the market without selling, gradually
decreasing in price.
If you’ve been thinking about selling your home
and you want to ditch your house as quickly as
possible, there are a few ways that you can help
your house sell fast. There are some factors you
can’t control, like location or noisy neighbors.
Fortunately, there are seven important things you
can do to give your house the best shot at selling.
1. Fix what’s broken
Buyers are always looking for the perfect move-in-ready home,
so fixing your home is key. If your house needs a lot of help,
focus on the major problems in your home. Need a new roof?
Buy one. A new owner will not want to put a new roof on the
house unless you’re offering the home at a serious discount.
Remember that most families want something they can move
into right away without spending months working on. If there
are problems with the home that you can easily fix, whether it
be chipping paint or a broken fence post, try to fix them before
you list your house.
2. Update your appliances
It’s important to remember that homebuyers have specific
items they look for in a home. For many buyers great
appliances are number one on their wish list for a home. That’s
where you come in. While you probably can’t afford to update
every one of your home’s appliances, take a hard look at what
your current setup looks like. Is the stove outdated? Is the
fridge about to die? Dropping a few hundred dollars on a new
fridge, dishwasher or oven might not be the way you want to
spend your money, but it could help you sell your house. If
someone sees an old stove sitting in the middle of the kitchen
that looks like it’s about to break, they may wonder what else
is going to break if they buy the house.
3. Take breathtaking pictures
You probably know that you need to take pictures of your
house. Pictures are one of the most important ways that you
can draw in potential buyers. If someone is looking for a new
home, they’ll typically take a look at real estate websites
before setting up showings or attending open houses. Because
so many shoppers look online before they decide to explore a
house in person, it’s important that your pictures look great.
Consider hiring a professional photographer to really showcase
your home. Make sure that you take pictures of both the
home’s interior and exterior. If you have a large yard, try to
showcase that. If you just planted roses, take a few pictures. If
your master bathroom is enormous, take a picture. Highlight
the best areas of your home and skip the ones that are less
attractive to buyers.
4. Ditch your clutter
Clearing out junk is easier said than done, but if you want to
sell your house quickly, you need to ditch your clutter. Get rid
of extra papers, magazines or memorabilia that is sitting
around your house. Clean out beneath your beds. Get rid of
that pile of clothes next to your dresser. When people walk
through your house, they want to imagine what it will be like
to live in the home. Even if you can’t get rid of all of your
home’s clutter, try to at least minimize the amount of things
you have on shelves and on counters to present a clean, neat
appearance to buyers.
5. Advertise, advertise, advertise
Your agent will be the first to tell you: you need to focus on
advertising. Remember that buyers probably won’t drive by
your house and see the “For Sale” sign in your yard. Rather,
they’ll find your house online, in a newspaper or on a brochure.
List your house on as many real estate websites as possible,
share it on Facebook and try to promote it as much as possible
for the best results.
6. Price fairly
You’ve spent years developing memories in your house, so it’s
normal to want to attach a price tag to those. Unfortunately,
the reality is that you can’t afford to ask too much for your
house. Remember that buyers are looking for a good deal. They
want to know that they’re getting their money’s worth when
they buy a house. Take a look at what other houses are selling
for in your area and price your home accordingly. If you aren’t
sure how much to ask for your house, don’t be afraid to contact
a real estate agent to ask for help.
7. Don’t be choosy
One mistake that many sellers make is to turn down offers
because they don’t like the family. Even if you don’t like the
person that offers to buy your house, realize that you don’t
have any control over what happens to your home once you
sell it. If the buyer wants to tear down walls, paint everything
green or add a bunch of garden gnomes to the yard, that’s their
decision. For a quick sell, don’t be choosy about your offers.
Sell your home to the first person who makes an offer that is
reasonable and that you’re comfortable with.
7 TIPS
You Need to Know
HOW TO SELL
YOUR HOUSE — FAST